reserved powers

Reserved powers are those powers that are not specifically granted to the federal government by a constitution nor prohibited to the states, allowing these powers to be exercised by state or regional governments. In the context of the U.S. Constitution, the Tenth Amendment states that powers not delegated to the federal government nor prohibited to the states are reserved to the states or the people, which is a key element of federalism. These reserved powers typically cover areas not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, leaving the states authority over them. In other systems like the UK, reserved powers refer to areas such as foreign affairs, defense, constitution, and aspects of immigration which remain under the control of the central government, while other powers are devolved to regional governments. Additionally, "reserve powers" can refer to discretionary powers held by a head of state (such as a monarch or president) that can be exercised without the approval of other branches of government, often in exceptional or emergency situations. The concept appears in various legal systems, with different interpretations and applications but generally involves the division of authority between central and subnational governments or the exercise of special powers by heads of state.